Ritter Honored By Ukrainian Group

January 22, 1990|The Morning Call

Honored by the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America yesterday as man of the year, U.S. Rep. Don Ritter, R-15th, praised recent events in the communist world and said he looked forward to even more diplomacy there.

"Future historians, looking back at this period, will -- no doubt -- view this as the pivotal time when the `old order' of communism had overwhelmingly proved its failure to the people of the world," said Ritter, who spoke to the Ukrainian group in Chicago. "From China to Czechoslovakia, from the Baltic States to the Berlin Wall -- communism has failed the people, the workers and peasants whom Marx and Lenin has said it would serve."

The Ukrainian group's 1990 "Man of the Year Award" is for Ritter's efforts on behalf of Ukrainian rights.

Ritter, who said he was pleased to celebrate the 72nd anniversary of the declaration of Ukrainian independence -- which is today -- told the group he wants the United States to open a consulate in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine. He and fellow congressmen Dennis Hertel and David Bonior, both D-Mich., made the request in a letter to Secretary of State James Baker, he said.

Ritter said the United States should "establish a formal American diplomatic presence" in the Ukraine.

The Helsinki Commission, of which Ritter is a member, is committed to supporting the right of the people in the Soviet Union to determine their own destiny, he said.

"We hope that the move toward genuine self-determination takes place in a peaceful and democratic manner . . . ," said Ritter, who also serves on the Congressional Ad Hoc Committee on the Baltic States and the Ukraine. "Nobody wants to see Kiev or Lviv turn into a Tiananmen Square -- or Ukraine relive the horrible repressions of the past.

"But, on the other hand it is absolutely essential that the United States and the West not back away from the principles for which we stand and the principles which we have fought for throughout our history and within the Helsinki process. It must be made clear to the Soviets and others that new repression will not be tolerated -- a heavy price will be paid."

He praised members of the Ukrainian group who have steadfastly supported American political leadership and shunned communism.

Ritter said his concern for the Ukrainian people started when he was an exchange student in the Soviet Union. As ranking member of the Helsinki Commission and the ad hoc committee, that concern and appreciation grew. In November 1988, he led a commission delegation to the Soviet Union where he met with officials on the issues of law and human rights.